Jennifer LaPlante

Deputy Minister, Cyber Security & Digital Solutions, Government of Nova Scotia

Jennifer LaPlante is a Partner at OAI Technologies Inc., a consultancy that helps organizations adopt AI and digital intelligence through strategic guidance, practical tools, and responsible implementation.

Previously, Chief Growth and Investment Officer at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, she led national innovation efforts and built Canada’s first Ocean AI Strategy. Formerly Executive Director of DeepSense, Jennifer helped advance AI adoption across the ocean sector. She holds an MBA and an MSc in Computing and Data Analytics and co-founded Halifax’s Women in Machine Learning and Data Science chapter. A 2021 DataIQ Top 100 Influential Person in AI, Jennifer has served on the Government of Canada’s AI Public Awareness Working Group and sits on several boards, including Propel ICT and AI4Manufacturing.